LECTURE 4
Mechanistic Perspectives on Development:
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These are the learning theories
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Organism (o) is passive, acted upon by the environment (e)
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Big E, little o
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Development comes from outside the organism, from the environment
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External stimuli cause development
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Change is continuous (gradual and quantitative)
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Principles of learning apply at all ages
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Methods: Observation, experimentation
Respondent Behavior:
Behavior which is a function of stimuli that precede it
Respondent Behavior is Implicated
in:
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Reflexes
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Emotional development
Unconditioned Stimulus
(UCS or US):
A stimulus that elicits a particular response without any prior learning
Unconditioned Response
(UCR or UR):
The unlearned response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus
Infant Respondent Behaviors: (Reflexes)
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Loud noise elicits... Moro reflex
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Nipple (or other object) in mouth elicits... Sucking
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Stroking cheek near mouth elicits... Rooting
Sensory Capacities of Infants Remarkably
Well-Developed:
Vision:
Operative at birth, but not as good as it will be
Hearing:
Can hear better than they can see
Smell/Taste discrimination:
Well-developed
How Do We Know About Infant Perception?
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One widely used technique is habituation
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Habituation: a simple form of learning that involves learning not
to respond to a stimulus that is repeated over and over
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In essence, habituation is learning to be bored by the familiar
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If an infant who has habituated to one stimulus regains interest when
a different stimulus is substituted, we know that the infant has discriminated
between the two stimuli
Respondent Learning:
(Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning)
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Learning in which a stimulus, that initially had no effect, comes
to elicit a response as a result of its association with a stimulus
that already elicits the response
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Learning in which a new stimulus comes to elicit an existing response
Conditioned Stimulus (CS):
An initially neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a particular response
after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus that always elicits the
response
Conditioned Response (CR):
A learned response to a stimulus that was not originally capable of producing
the response
Respondent Learning
(Classical Conditioning):
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UCS (physical punishment) elicits ... UCR (blushing)
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CS (exposure of genitals) elicits ... CR (blushing)
Respondent Learning of "Little
Albert":
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UCS (loud, sudden noise) elicits ... UCR (startle, fear)
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What new stimulus is associated with the UCS?
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CS (white rat) is presented at same time as UCS (loud, sudden noise)
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Eventually, white rat elicits fear, a conditioned response (CR)
Respondent Generalization:
The occurrence of the CR to stimuli that are similar to (but not identical
with) the original CS)
Techniques For Weakening a CR:
Respondent Extinction:
The gradual diminuation of a CR by repeatedly presenting the CS in the
absence of the USC
Respondent Discrimination:
Example: Continue to pair white rat and loud noise while presenting white
cotton without loud noise--thus putting response to cotton on (respondent)
extinction
Techniques For Weakening a CR (Cont):
Counter Conditioning:
Pairing the CS with a new UCS that produces a new UCR incompatible with
the original CR
Systematic Desensitization
Examples of Respondent Learning:
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Conditional emotional reaction (CER)
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Conditioned taste aversion
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Fetishes
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Relapses of drug-addicted persons after long periods of abstinence
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Immediately liking or disliking a person
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Conscience
Respondent Learning (Classical
Conditioning) Theory of Antisocial and Criminal Behavior:
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UCS (punishment) elicits ... UCR (fear)
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CS (signal of punishment) elicits ... CR (anticipatory fear)
"CONSCIENCE": A set of classically conditioned emotional responses, i.e.,
associations between signals of punishment & the punishment itself
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Conditioned anticipatory fear provides incentive to avoid antisocial
stimuli associated with punishment
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Criminals are relatively poorer at developing CER's (classically conditioned
emotional responses) (12 of 14 studies)
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Longitudinal data show that adolescents with antisocial behavior who
do NOT go on to become adult criminals
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...show better respondent learning compared to those who do go on
to become criminals
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Better conditionability = (biological) protective factor against crime
End
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